Fogbound
by Aureate
Summary: Alice always intended to keep her promise to return to Underland. When she does, however, she finds it strangely changed. Alone and with no prophecies to guide her, can she find her friends and discover the truth?
1. Prologue

You know, I typically don't do this. Write for things that will be forgotten utterly by most people within a month or so, I mean. But this one was _very_ persistent. I blame Johnny Depp, myself.

Obviously, I don't own any of this. God knows who does at this point...is Lewis Carroll public domain now? He very well could be. Regardless, I still own nothing.

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Alice had been back in England for nearly a month before it happened.

That time had mostly been concerned with business and family matters. There were reports to be made and matters to be negotiated with Lord Ascot, with whom she had now entered a full-fledged business partnership. Margaret had given birth to a son while Alice was away; she'd spent several days at her sister's home learning to be an aunt (and once again making certain that Lowell knew his place). All very important things, of course, which is why Alice always felt vaguely guilty whenever she thought to herself that she had had no _personal_ time at all. Hers was the kind of temperament that felt this loss keenly. Life-After-China was proving to be too fast-paced; it left no time to _think_, no time to remember. So, early one morning, she rose quietly and slipped out into the pale morning for a solitary stroll. And that is when it happened.

She was standing beneath a flowering tree, staring blankly into space and thinking of everything and nothing at all, when a large, vibrantly blue butterfly fluttered across her field of view, coming to rest on a blade of grass a few metres away. Alice blinked, and then smiled slowly. She took a few careful steps closer and knelt in the grass, heedless of the dew soaking her dress. "Hello, Absalom," she greeted quietly. The vague, unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach, the one she'd been feeling for a month now, was quickly fading. This was what she had been waiting for.

The butterfly took off again, fluttering slowly and jerkily towards the tree line. Alice got to her feet and followed it, into the forest. Her long blond hair began to slip free of the few ribbons she wore, picking up twigs and leaves as she went despite the rather sedate pace. Last time...well, last time had been a _proper_ race, she thought with a wry smile. But then, last time there had been a war on. Now, order had returned, and she did not need to be anyone's Champion; she was excited to just visit her old friends, more excited than she had been about anything in quite a while. Alice didn't regret her choice to come back to her own world - not at all! But for all the Chinese adventures she's had, nothing could ever quite compare to Underland. In truth, the comparison probably wasn't fair; how could any Earthly place ever measure up? She was a creature of Earth, but a piece of her soul was, and forever would be wrapped up in the bright fabrics of the other world.

Looking ahead, she realized that she could no longer see her bright blue guide. Heart clenching in sudden fear, she bounded ahead a few paces, breaking through the brush into a small clearing. The ground here was rocky, with little grass and no flowers. Despite the pale sunlight filtering down through the leaves, the early morning chill seemed suddenly sharper. In the center of the clearing grew a large oak tree: on its ancient, gnarled trunk sat the butterfly, its wings opening and closing idly, and amidst its twisting roots there was a large hole. _Quite_ too large for a rabbit.

Alice surveyed the scene cautiously for a moment. There was something about it - she took a step forward and opened her mouth to ask a question. All that came out, however, was a surprised gasp as the ground beneath her crumbled and gave way without warning. In a second, she was gone, and the clearing was once again still.

For a moment, nothing moved. Then the butterfly left its perch. Slowly it circled the hole once, then twice, as if debating its next course of action. A bird chirruped loudly from a nearby tree, and for a second it hovered near the lip of the opening - might it descend? But it just as quickly took off again, fluttering up towards the sky. Birds or not, it was safer here.

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This was the prologue. The chapters will be much longer. Also, I do very much appreciate reviews!


	2. Chapter 1

Thanks for the kind review, Ithilelda! And thanks also to everyone else for reading; this is certainly the first time anyone's ever added one of my stories to their alerts!

Thought I should note: I'm going to be using as little of the New Movie Vocabulary as possible, mostly because you can't actually glean most of it from a casual viewing and as such I don't actually know most of it. If I happen to make use of it anyway, I'll make sure my meaning is very clear. I'm using a guide posted by the user nineteennintytwo as my reference; you can easily find it in her discussion forum here.

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Alice plummeted down through absolute darkness. She couldn't see a thing; all she could do was shield her head with her hands and hope for the best. She hit something hard, sending a bolt of pain through her shoulder and a shower of papers fluttering down around her. She could hear the sound of ticking clocks - probably big, ancient grandfather clocks, or else pocketwatches that had been lost by their owners long ago - but nothing else. At least this time she'd retained the presence of mind not to scream.

Finally, she hit the marble floor, hard. Alice stood slowly, absently feeling at her shoulder with one hand. Whatever it was she'd hit, it was going to bruise. Her body was aching already, and the scars on her upper arm, now healed into three puckered white lines, were beginning to complain loudly. Had it been this rough last time? Well, at least her surroundings were familiar. The room with the doors had not changed since she'd seen it. Everything was exactly the same, including the key on the table and, as she picked up the key, the little vial. She picked it up with a wry smirk: DRINK ME, indeed. That had worked out so wonderfully the last two times she'd tried it. Would it have killed them - whoever _they_ were - to include a warning? _DRINK ME WHILE HOLDING KEY?_

Well, there was no need for all that silliness _this_ time. Stuffing the key in a pocket, she held the vial up and studied the liquid consideringly. Even being prepared, something in her shrank at the thought of drinking it. She'd never much liked being tiny. Still, she tossed back the contents of the vial, and a moment later she was wading out of her dress, tying her underthings about her in the best semblance of actual clothing she could manage. After everything she'd experienced, she would still never quite get used to changing sizes like this.

Speaking of that...where was that cake? Alice glanced about her feet hopefully. She didn't want to go on being small any longer than she absolutely had to, and besides, it seemed like having a little extra Upelkuchen on hand always came in handy. But the handy pastry didn't seem to be appearing this time. Alice chewed her lip in frustration and glanced around the room. She'd never quite been clear on how the things in this place worked. Everything she'd needed had always seemed to magically appear. Perhaps if she just _thought _about wanting to grow bigger?

Almost immediately upon thinking this, a dainty piece of cake appeared at her feet. She stared down at it in mild surprise before picking it up; she hadn't expected it to _actually_ be that easy. But none of that was really important, she reminded herself. She'd got what she wanted, and now she was ready to go.

Standing in front of the tiny door to Underland, she took a deep breath. This was it, then. Would there be anyone there to greet her? Were they expecting her at all? ...She kept using the word "they," but if she was honest with herself, she would be satisfied just to walk out there and meet the bright green eyes of the Hatter. For him to be waiting there would be enough. Throughout it all, he had been her closest ally and her dearest friend, and she still remembered the look on his face when she had turned down his offer to stay. It had come back to her often, even while in China, and though she'd never felt regret, she couldn't help but admit to a bit of lingering guilt. She wanted to let him know that at least she had kept her promise: she had not forgotten him. And if he wasn't waiting on the other side of the door for her, then she would just have to go and find him, if she had to turn Underland upside down. Resolved, Alice turned the doorknob and stepped boldly out into the garden.

The first thing she noticed was the cold. It wasn't the gentle, innocent chill of a spring morning, like the one she had just left behind. It was the dull, dead cold of winter, and it hit her like a sledgehammer, causing her arms and neck to turn to gooseflesh. The second thing she noticed was the fog, thick and white and clinging. She could barely see more than a few metres in any direction, which instantly made her uneasy. Perhaps if she lived in London, near the river, she wouldn't have found anything strange about it; as it was, she continued peering out into the gloom, trying to judge her surroundings. Nothing made a sound, and her breathing seemed abnormally loud in the stillness. One thing was certain: there was no one else here. Alice had to stop and swallow a vague sense of disappointment. They just hadn't been expecting her, that was all.

She wrapped her arms around her body, trying to ward off the cold, and closed her eyes briefly, remembering. This was where McTwisp, Mallymkun, and the others met her last time, and they had taken her to Absalom's mushroom, which was..._that_ way. Perhaps he'd already flown ahead and was waiting for her there. It seemed about as likely as anything, and besides, she knew that from there she would be able to find her way to the Hatter's home. If nothing else, she'd always had an excellent sense of direction.

There didn't appear to be any flowers about. In fact, there didn't seem to be anything about at all, not so much as a single dragonfly. Dry, brown stalks of grass crunched beneath her feet, and for the first time she thought to wonder what exactly happened to those talking flowers when it grew cold. At least the crunching broke the silence...though thinking about the flowers had just made it even more unnerving. After a minute or so, she reached the small clearing where the large - and sadly abandoned - mushroom sat. With all the thick fog swirling about, Alice could almost imagine that Absalom _was_ sitting there, breathing his noxious smoke rings into her face. She sighed to herself; she_ had_ hoped to meet him here. She hadn't properly spoken to him since before he was a butterfly. Where could he possibly have gone?

Without Absalom, there was no more reason to remain small, and Alice quickly consumed half of her cake, glad to be restored to her proper size again. Maybe she _didn't_ always need to be too small or too tall. The fog was not, as she had thought, worse closer to the ground. It still drifted and swirled, impenetrably thick. But she remembered the way to the forest from here, and through it, she could find the windmill, and the tea party, and the Hatter. And if nothing else, there was no Bandersnatch. That, at least, was a welcome change.

Before long, she managed to find a well-worn path, doubtless the one she'd taken previously. Being on a road made her feel somewhat better. Perhaps she would meet some other travelers along the way, possibly even someone she knew! Though...everything was so _quiet._ It was hard to imagine that anything else had ever been here at all. And yet...Alice stopped in her tracks, peering forward with wide eyes. Through the mist, a large dark shape loomed before her, silently menacing.

Alice's thoughts immediately flew back to the Bandersnatch, and her fight with the Jabberwocky. Underland wasn't just a child's fantasy, as she had once thought; it was dangerous. Dangerous, and she didn't even have so much as a hatpin to defend herself! She could run, but where would she go, when she could barely see her hand in front of her face? Alright, then, she would fight. Alice remembered some martial artists she'd seen in China, perhaps if she imitated them...

In the midst of her frightened planning, a calmer voice broke through her thoughts: _Look, i__t isn't even moving.  
_

Alice blinked, and looked again. It was true; whatever was in the road ahead hadn't moved an inch since she'd first seen it. Silly, to get worked up over nothing like that, she thought to herself in irritation. Relaxing slightly, she stepped forward to see what had caused her such alarm.

The first thing she saw was red of dozens of apples, popping out brilliantly against the gloomy surroundings. They lay scattered on the dirt, tumbled out of the small wooden cart which now lay on its side in a ditch. Alice saw no sign of a driver, but as she rounded the cart, she found the horse, with his one big brown eye staring blankly up at the sky. "Good Lord," Alice murmured, dropping to her knees by his side. She reached out to brush his chestnut fur in a moment of hope, but he was cold to the touch, and she drew back in horror.

It wasn't as though she'd never seen a dead animal before. But this was Underland, which could only mean one thing. This wasn't just a horse; this was a _person_, just as much as Mallymkun or Bayard or any of the others. Yet here he lay, dead on the road. Right now, she didn't think anyone was coming for him, either. Alice blankly swatted a fly away from the horse's face, trying to understand how this had happened. It looked as though he'd been here for at least a couple days, too - had no one been on this road in all that time? The silence around her seemed to grow to deafening proportions, and just for a second, she felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

But she didn't cry. Instead, she swallowed and sat up a little straighter, and then leaned forward and closed the horse's eyes. That was all she could do for him now. But she'd be at the tea party soon enough. Alice had really hoped for a more joyful reunion, but she knew that the Hatter would be delighted to see her, even if he had to come out here and help her bury a body. That thought spurred her to stand up, brush the dust off her skirts, and keep walking through the swirling mists, though she could still feel the presence of the dead at her back. She would see her friends soon, and that was what mattered.

It wasn't long before she could pick the shapes of black tree trunks out of the fog. The forest seemed even grimmer than normal. The only sound to be heard was the crunching of leaves beneath her feet, and always the fog was swirling around her feet, catching at the hem of her skirt. Trousers would have been much more practical, she thought, though deep down she knew that she was only using the issue to distract herself from the fact that she was beginning to feel as if there were eyes upon her. Something in the air had shifted subtly upon entering the woods. Without lowering her eyes, Alice leaned down and picked up a large, thick branch from the forest floor. It wasn't much, but it was heavy, and it was better than nothing.

She quickly moved on, brushing low-hanging branches away from her face. Dead leaves crunched under her feet with every step, seeming almost abnormally loud, but there wasn't much she could do about that, and she'd rather move quickly than quietly at the moment. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and though she knew logically that there was no _real_ reason to feel like a million unfriendly eyes were following her, she continued to march through the brush, her eyes darting watchfully from side to side. What she wouldn't have given to have her Vorpal blade with her now!

Suddenly, something snapped in the underbrush, directly behind her. Alice whipped around instantly, holding her makeshift club out in front of her. "Hello?" she asked loudly, cursing the faint tremor in her voice.

Nothing.

"Chessur? Is that you?" she ventured, though truthfully she didn't really think that the cat was present. The forest around her remained silent and still. There was probably nothing there; she'd been imagining things. Alice took a few steps backward, her eyes still fixed warily on the undergrowth - and least, until something caught her foot and sent her tumbling backwards with a startled gasp. She quickly began to push herself back up, casting a quick glance down to see what had tripped her up, and froze.

It was the body of the Hatter.

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Reviews are lovely...


	3. Chapter 2

Still don't own anything.

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! And sorry for the delay; I'd have liked to have this chapter up sooner, but I got a surprise trip for my birthday and hijinks promptly ensued. Anyway, I'm doing my editing at three in the morning, so please be forgiving.

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For a moment, Alice's heart stopped beating.

The next second, she scrambled to her knees beside him in the carpet of decaying leaves. He was lying awkwardly on his side, orange hair blazing madly, though it was dirty and tangled with leaves. Alice flipped him over, cradling his head in her lap, and fumbled frantically at his pale neck for a pulse.

Nothing. Oh God, his skin was cold as ice, and there was nothing!

_No._ No, she wouldn't accept this! Alice pressed her head to her friend's chest and held her breath, listening. At first she thought she was imagining things...but no, there it was! A thready heartbeat, a faint intake of air. He was weak, but he was alive!

Alive! Alice nearly collapsed in relief. For a moment, she'd thought...she didn't know what she would have done, if she really had lost him. But she didn't really have him back, not yet. "Hatter? Can you hear me?" she asked, bringing her face closer to his. There was no response.

"Tarrant?" she asked louder, shaking his shoulder a little harder than she'd meant. The only response was his head lolling limply to one side. Alice sat back, chewing her lip anxiously. Around her, the forest remained still and silent, the mist swirling in aimless white shapes on the edges of her vision. It was cold, and the sky was beginning to get darker; this was likely the single worst place in Underland for the two of them to be right now. She had to get him out of here. The question was, how on Earth was she meant to do that? The Hatter was quite thin, it was true, but she still highly doubted her ability to carry him anywhere.

"Well, I certainly can't drag you all the way to Marmoreal," she remarked to him wryly. Obviously he couldn't hear her, but it made her feel better to talk to someone nonetheless. "I'm certain _you_ would know some way out of this. You always did just what you needed to help me, and yet here I am - " She paused to brush a few leaves from his hair, and had a sudden thought. "I don't suppose you still have..." Regardless of propriety, Alice unbuttoned his coat and fumbled about in the inner pockets until her fingers met glass. She drew out the small vial and held it up to the fading light. "Definitely Pishalver. Tarrant, you're _brilliant_."

This would make it much easier (and for once, _he_ would be the one who was too small or too tall!) Holding her breath, Alice tipped the Hatter's head forward and carefully forced the potion between his lips, not daring to exhale until he had safely swallowed it. Immediately he began to shrink until his still form was engulfed by his coat - and his trousers, and all his other clothes...

Alice felt a hot blush creep across her cheeks. Perhaps she hadn't thought this all the way through...

She bundled his clothing around him as quickly and securely as possible, studiously avoiding actually looking down at him. She hadn't really looked around before; how could she see anything else with the Hatter lying at her feet? But now, a glint in the leaves nearby quickly caught her attention. Her work with the Hatter finished, she reached over and carefully cleared away some of the debris. A long sword greeted her, the cold steel blade shining despite its time spent on a damp forest floor. Alice picked it up and turned it this way and that, observing how it caught the fading light. The only time she'd ever seen the Hatter carry a sword was at the final battle on the Frabjous Day. He hadn't had one at all before that, even as dangerous as times were then. And now he'd brought one out here...

Suddenly tense again, Alice quickly buckled the belt around her own waist, sheathed the sword, and gathered the Hatter up, easily cradling him in one arm. She'd thought that she would feel better if she had a weapon, but now that she did, she felt even more uneasy. She didn't want to fight. She would if she had to, of course, but she fervently hoped that she didn't have to.

Alice began to leave, then stopped to glance around one last time. She had the strangest feeling that she was forgetting something. Her eyes roved across her dismal surroundings, and caught a glimpse of pink ribbon peeking out from under a bush. Alice smiled despite herself. Of course! Walking across the clearing, she retrieved the hat and fingered the worn brim for a moment before placing it firmly upon her own head. It was a bit big on her, maybe, but she felt better for wearing it.

The sun was almost completely down by now, and if the fog had made it hard to see, the night made it impossible. Several times on her way, Alice nearly walked right into a tree. But she kept going, holding the Hatter protectively with one hand and resting the other near the hilt of her sword. The usual night noises were completely absent, and her footsteps crunched unnaturally loud in the void. To fill the silence, Alice once again found herself talking to the Hatter. She told him more about the family she'd gone back for; she detailed her adventures in China; she even admitted, rather quietly, just how much she had missed Underland. He never once answered her. She hadn't expected anything else, of course, but...

At first, she dismissed it as simply her mind playing tricks on her. But then she stopped and listened quietly - and yes, there it was again! Noises, like crashing chinaware, and close. Alice's heart lifted and she picked up her pace. Perhaps the March Hare was still in residence?

Her eyes were adjusted enough to the dark that she could easily make out the shape of the table once she left the tree line. She could also make out the large creature standing on it, loudly scarfing down what were hopefully just some scones. It was _much_ bigger than the March Hare. Alice paused, and clasped the hilt of the sword warily. "Hello?"

The beast immediately ceased eating and lifted its head, green-yellow eyes reflecting back what little light there was in the clearing. A low rumble started in its chest. Alice managed to fling herself out of the way just in time, as the creature leapt, claws swiping through the air where the girl's head had just been.

Alice quickly scrambled back to her feet and drew the sword, holding it firmly despite her pounding heart. The beast was clearly feline; it flashed long fangs and swiped at her with one clawed paw. Alice backed quickly away, holding Tarrant as close to her body as possible. "I don't want to fight you," she said quickly.

But the cat paid no mind, lunging forward. Alice flinched back instinctively, shielding the Hatter with her body. Instead, her shoulder took the blow. Alice cried out in pain; she could feel the blood flowing down her arm. She gritted her teeth. It didn't want to talk? So be it. She lashed out fiercely with her blade, and the cat yowled in pain.

Any other animal would have retreated then. But this one merely let out another feral snarl and lunged forward again. And again, Alice slashed it across the face, only to fall back in surprise when it swiped at her legs. She'd _felt_ its blood on her arms; she wouldn't be surprised if she'd blinded the thing! It must be mad, to keep attacking! She spun hastily to dodge another attack, and knew that there was no way around this.

Better to get it over with, then. Moving quickly, she darted to the side and stabbed the beast one last time. It fell, but even with a sword buried in its side, it didn't die right away. It continued weakly growling and snapping at Alice where she stood, until finally it let out one rattling breath and lay still. Feeling sick to her stomach, Alice tugged the blade free and wiped it against the grass.

Everything after that was a bit of a blur. A length ripped from the tablecloth did perfectly well for a bandage. There were still some scones left, and she nibbled halfheartedly on one as she tried her best to rub some lingering blood spots out of the Hatter's coat. Somewhere amid the clutter, she found a box of matches, and after a few false starts lit a respectable campfire. The Hatter, she bundled up near the heat of the flames. He still felt cool, but his breathing sounded stronger; the terror in her stomach was beginning to fade. Satisfied that they were both as safe as they were going to be for the night, Alice dropped down onto the chill ground next to him. Her exhaustion quickly overcame her nerves, and she dropped off to sleep, only to dream of running through deep fog, followed everywhere by a pair of glowing red eyes.

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Picturing Tiny!Hatter in my head just makes me giggle every time. Except that I kinda forgot until I was halfway through this that clothes don't shrink, too...oh, well. He's not very fun to write when he's out cold, though - quite the opposite. And for the interested, I imagine the cat to have been in fact a Eurasian Lynx. Had circumstances been different, he would have had a very posh British accent. Again...oh, well.

Next chapter: actually contains dialogue! Review, review, review!


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